Howe tries to stay positive

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe insists his club have a lot to be proud of despite seeing the League One title snatched from their grasp in the cruellest of finishes to the season.

The Cherries looked set for the league crown after a goalless draw, only for James Coppinger's last-minute goal for Doncaster at Brentford to turn things sour for Howe's men and give Rovers the title.

But while the overriding feeling was one of disappointment, Howe is adamant the club must remain positive after promotion to the second flight for only the second time in their history.

He said: "The ups and downs in football are unbelievable. We have achieved promotion and we need to keep our perspective on that but we were desperate to take the title and we did everything but score.

"This club has come so far from a few months ago. If someone had told me then that we would miss out on the title on the last day of the season I wouldn't have believed them.

"I am very pleased with the effort of the lads and I want them to celebrate their achievement because when we look back on this we can be absolutely delighted."

The result marked a difficult end to the season for a Rovers side who finished 11th having been firmly in the promotion battle for a long period.

But manager Ronnie Moore believes it is little surprise given the meagre resources at the club. He said: "The last eight weeks have been a nightmare.

"We have been running on empty and that is what happens when you don't have the strength in depth."